Author Topic: Cultivating subtropical trees in freezing climate (avocado,citrus)  (Read 576 times)

lajos93

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Found this article: https://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2020/04/fruit-trenches-cultivating-subtropical-plants-in-freezing-temperatures.html

Here it explains how if you train the tree to have this "creeping shape" rather than a normal tree shape you gain a warmth of 2-3C degrees for the winter and quite a bit of cooling for the summer


This should be enough for Zone 7 (at least in my case we barely have -10C every few years) so if you want lemons or avocadoes(the cold hardy ones) it might just be possible, maybe cover it with hay if you wanna be extra careful

The only issue that could come up is that the fruit will touch the ground, not sure how to overcome that, maybe training the branches to face upwards?
stuff

CarolinaZone

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Re: Cultivating subtropical trees in freezing climate (avocado,citrus)
« Reply #1 on: January 03, 2023, 07:23:34 PM »
Citrus? Maybe but avocado I seriously doubt. What cultivar will you try to grow?

Gulfgardener

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Re: Cultivating subtropical trees in freezing climate (avocado,citrus)
« Reply #2 on: January 03, 2023, 07:44:20 PM »
I think you could do lemons like that or maybe kumquat. Not avocado. They sunburn so easily, I doubt it would survive very long at all.

lajos93

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Re: Cultivating subtropical trees in freezing climate (avocado,citrus)
« Reply #3 on: January 04, 2023, 08:01:03 AM »
Mexican avocados they are said to be just as hardy as a lemon tree
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CarolinaZone

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Re: Cultivating subtropical trees in freezing climate (avocado,citrus)
« Reply #4 on: January 22, 2023, 09:49:17 AM »
I would love to see your results but I am in a mild zone 7 in the US and I haven't been able to expose them to low temps unless the are protected. They won't take freezing temps even at a 2 inch caliper for longer that a few hours much less a few days.

Calusa

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CarolinaZone

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Re: Cultivating subtropical trees in freezing climate (avocado,citrus)
« Reply #6 on: January 22, 2023, 11:36:52 AM »
Yep. Completely possible outdoors in the zone 8 areas closer to the coast. Take note that his are protected.